The art of glass container manufacture is currently dominated by the so-called individual section or IS machine. Such machines comprise a plurality of separate or individual manufacturing sections, each of which includes a multiplicity of operating mechanisms for converting gobs of molten glass into hollow glass containers. In general, each section includes a parison mold in which a glass gob is initially formed in a blowing or pressing operation, an invert arm of transferring the parison to a blow mold in which the container is blown to final form, and tongs for removing the container for transfer to an annealing lehr. Additional mechanisms provide for closure of mold halves, movement of baffles and blowing nozzles, control of mold cooling wind, etc. U.S. Pat. No. 4,362,544 includes a comprehensive background discussion of the art of both blow-and-blow and press-and-blow glassware forming processes, and also discloses an electropneumatic individual section machine adapted for use in either process.
Initially, the operating mechanisms of each machine section were operated by pneumatic valves carried by a valve block and responsive to cams mounted on a timing shaft coupled to the machine. Synchronism among the mechanisms within each section, and among the various sections of the machine, was therefore controlled by the timing shaft and the valve drive cams. U.S. Pat. No. 4,152,134 discloses an improved control arrangement in which a machine supervisory computer (MSC) is connected to a plurality of individual section computers (ISC), each associated with a corresponding section of the IS machine. Each individual section computer is connected through an associated section operator console (SOC) to solenoid valves in an electropneumatic valve block, which are individually responsive to electronic valve control signals from the section computer and operator console for controlling operation of the associated section operating mechanisms. A timing pulse generator is connected to the machine supervisory computer and to the individual section computers for synchronizing operation within and among the individual sections. The individual section computer and the section operator console illustrated in the noted patent were subsequently combined in a computerized section operator console (COM-SOC, a trademark of applicant's assignee).
The computerized section operator consoles (COM-SOCs) of each IS machine are mounted on a wireway in the frame at each machine section, as shown for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,339,260 and 4,362,544. Each COM-SOC unit has an operator panel with displays for indicating machine section status, and a multiplicity of toggle switches for selectively operating various mechanisms of the machine section during a manual mode of operation. That is, during set-up or maintenance, a machine section may be selectively placed in a manual mode of operation, and various operating mechanisms of the machine section may be selectively operated by manipulation of the toggle switches on the COM-SOC operator panel. The function or operating mechanism associated with each switch is labeled adjacent to the switch, usually by means of a language display, or by an icon so that the panel may be employed in many countries. The number of manual mode toggle switches is much less than the number of valve drivers, solenoid valves and operating mechanisms--e.g., ninety-six solenoid valves and valve drivers versus twenty manual mode toggle switches. Thus, current COM-SOC units include facility for reprogramming individual switches to operate differing mechanisms. In this situation, plastic or metal overlays are positioned over the switches to identify the switches with specific operating mechanisms. However, such overlays can become lost or misplaced, and inherently limit flexibility of switch programming in the manual operating modes.
It is a general object of the present invention to provide a system and method for control of glass production that alleviate some or all of the problems and difficulties hereinabove set forth. Another and more specific object of the present invention is to provide a system and method of the described character that include facility for selectively electronically labeling the manual mode toggle switches, thereby eliminating the need for overlays and templates in the prior art, enabling the use of alphanumeric labels rather than icons in any desired language, and/or providing enhanced flexibility for programming individual switches to perform specific functions. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a system and method for electronically labeling the manual mode toggle switches as described above in which the switch labels are blanked during a run mode of operation, and/or which provide facility for labeling individual switches during the run mode of operation to disable a solenoid valve driver and associated mechanism if desired.